Internal-combustion engine.



C. M. BRADLEY.

INTERNAL comsusnow ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 5. 1912.

Patented Sept. H, 1915.

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L Cf/G fiB ad C. M. BRADLEY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 5. 1912.

1 1 53, 1 9 1 Patented Sept. H, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1 ,"IIZ" 1' E STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES M. BRADLEY, 0F HARVEY, ILLINOIS.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE,

clear, and exact description of the same,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the numbers of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

required for the construction of such en-' While great advance has been made in the perfecting of internal combustion en: gines, such engines still are unnecessar ly complicated, and because of such complication, and the large number of parts usually gines, are prone to get out of order by breakage or otherwise, necessitating dela in their use,-and expensive repairs. In t ose engines in which reci rocating puppet valves are employed, the ailure of a va ve spring or any of the parts of the valve mechanism, or theimperfect seating of said valve, because of corrosion or the accumulation of carbon thereon, renders the engine uncertain in operation and therefore unreliable. In those engines in which the valve comprises a sliding sleeve, numerous parts also are required, and unless the lubrication is perfectly maintained, the Wear and tear on such an engine is 'verysevere and the upkeep expensive. Most internal combustion engines heretofore devised contain and embody as a part of their operative mechanism, numerous springs and gear wheels.

These occasion noise, and defect in any,

means failure orinefficient operation.

The object of this invention is to so con= struc't an internal combustion engine as to entirely obviate valve trouble and to insure perfect operation and timing without the use 'ofgear wheels.

It is also an object of the invention to afi'ord improved means for cooling an engine such as described, and in which all parts of the engine subjected to any considerable heat are maintained at substantially uniform temperaturewhile in operation.

It is a further object of the invention to afford-a construction whereby a single element serves in lieu of inlet and exhaust Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented se t. 14, 1915.

Application filed July 5, 1912. Serial No. 707,654.

valves for all the cylinders of a multiple cylinder engine. j

The invention has for its object also an exceedingly cheap and simple construction, which, when once assembled, can never by any possibility get out of stroke, and which consists of a minimum number of parts, and those of the simplest and most durable construction.

The invention (in its preferred form) is illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings: Figure l is a top plan view of an engine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a central, vertical section thereof. Fig.- 3 is a front end elevation, with the cover plate for the spark casing removed. Fig. 4 is a section on line H of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary detail of the valve construction taken at the front end thereof. Fig. 6 is a similar sectional detail view taken atthe opposite end of the valveand illustrating the packing. Fig. 7 is a view in elevation of the rotative valve showing the same removed from the engine. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary detail face view of the cage for the rear end of the valve. Fig. 9 is a fragmentary vertical section illustrating a slightly modified construction. Fig.

lO-isa somewhat diagrammatic view of the inders 2. 8, 4 and 5, as shown four in number, and bolted on said engine base 1, to afford a crank case, is the bottom case section 6, which, of course, may be constructed in the usual manner. Journaled in a suitable bearing at each end of the crank case so formed, is the crank shaft 7, provided with a crank or throw-beneath each of said cylinders as is usual.

A center bearing is afforded for said shaft upon a transverse web 8, integral with the bottom of the crank case. Reciprocating pistons 9, 10, 11 and 12, are provided in the respective cylinders, and are engaged by means of suitable connecting rods 13, with the appropriate cranks therefor in the crank shaft. Each of the cylinders near its upper end orthat portion of the cylinder exposed to the direct heat of the combustion, is provided with a water jacket 14, to cool the engine when in operation. v

A longitudinal bore 14" is provided for the entire length of the engine and above and arranged at right angles around said element, and as shown in Fig. 4, each affording a relatively broad segment shaped recess or port through the respective sides of said rotative elements and indicated respectively by A, B, C, and D.

Arranged within said rotative element are spirally shaped plates or vanes 16, at short intervals apart and directed to force the liquid or water in the-water jackets toward a suitable radiator. A port 17, is provided through the cylinder head of each cylinder,

toregister with the recess corresponding therewith in said rotative element 15 as the same rotates, and opening into the bore above the cylinder heads of the engine at one side of the engine, is a horizontally dis posed inlet port orpassage l8, and at the other a larger exhaust port or passage 19. Bolted or otherwise suitably secured at the inlet side of the engine is the inletmanifold pipe 20, which, of course, may be constructed .in the usual or in any suitable form,,and, of course, on the opposite side of the engine is the exhaust manifold 21, constructed as usual. Said rotative element is of greater.

length than the length across the top of the cylinders and extends outwardly at the front end of the engine. Rigidly secured thereon at its forward end is a sprocket 'wheel22, and rigidly secured on the crank shaft 7,-at its front end is a smaller sprocket wheel 23. These sprocket wheels are of such size as to afford a two-to-one drive for the rotative element or valve15. A sprocket chain 24, .is trained about said sprocket crank ease section 6.

dirt and dust.

wheel, andlies within a casing 25, which, at its upper end, isprovided with a hub or flange 26, which engages upon a suitable tubular boss integral with the engine cylinders, and at its lower end with a similar hub -or flan e 27v which engages a corresponding tdbular boss, integral with the A cover plate 28, is provided to cover the chain and sprocket case so described, to protect the same from Secured to said rotative element 15 by means of. a union nut 29, threaded on a suitable flange on the cover plate, is a pipe 30, which leads back to the radiator and is one of the circulating return pipes of the engine. The joint between said return pipe 30, and the tubular rotative element or valve is closed by a suitable gland or packing washer 31. As shown, the end of said rotative element protrudes beyond the end of the engine at the rear end thereof also and is closed by means of a screw plug 32, secured therein, provided with an extended stud shaft 33, which extends rearwardly therefrom.

A plurality of apertures 34:, are provided laterally through the end of said rotative element, and communicating in the water passage therethrough, and, as shown, the rear end of said rotative element is packed to prevent water finding its way into the cylinder. For this purpose, a packing ring 35, is seated in a suitable recess therefor surrounding the end of said rotative valve closure, and a cage 36, as shown in Figs. 2 and 6, is fitted over the apertured end of said shaft, and bears against the packing washer 35, in the recess therefor afiording a gland. A similar packing washer 35, is provided around the rear end of said shaft, and the cage 36, fits therebetween and bears against both, and threaded upon a suitable boss surrounding the rear end of said tubular valve closure, is a gland nut 37, providedwith a suitable internal concentric rib 38, which bears against said packing washer 35, and when threaded inwardly on the boss on the engine, acts to compress the packing to afford a watertight joint. Sa1d nut 37 also is apertured to receive therethrough the stud shaft 33, and bears against the screw-plug 32, thus acting as an end support for the rotative element 15.

As shown, another outlet pipe 39, is provided in the top of the engine, water-jacketing the valve casing, and is adapted for connection with the radiator.

Opening outwardly from the forward side of the cylinder 5, is the intake pipe 40, to the cylinders, and which leads from the radiator. Packing of any suitable kind may be provided around the valve recesses in the rotative valve closure 15. As shown in Fig. 10, spring valve rings' ll and 42 respectively, are provided on each side of each of said ports or recesses in said elements and are connected transversely by webs 43, one on each side of the recess, and which, of course, extend longitudinally of the rotative valve closure 15. Any suitable packing means may be employed in lieu of such rm s.

n the modification illustrated in Fig. 9, the use of water as a cooling agent within the tubular valve element 15, is dispensed with, and in its stead air is forced therethrough by the propeller vanes 45, which are mounted in the bell shaped mouthpiece member 44, secured on the front end of said tubular valve element. The air rushes through the hollow valve element and leaves at the rear end thereof through apertures in an enlarged drumshaped element threaded thereon. y

Theoperation is as follows: When the engine is started, the explosive mixture is admitted to the respective cylinders, or exhausted therefrom, dependent upon the position in its rotation of said rotative closure 15. The engine is so timed that as the closure rotates, the inlet port 18, is first opened at the moment that the piston begins its downward or inspiration stroke. The exhaust port, of course, is closed and remains closed during the compression stroke or movement of the piston, and during the power impulse thereof the rotative element or valve closure begins to open'the exhaust port almost immediately following the explosion of the charge and continues to full opening during the return or exhaust stroke of the piston, and at the end of said stroke immediately closes and begins the opening of the inlet port, as indicated in Fig. 4, preparatory to the inspiration stroke of the piston; the explosion in the respective cylinders following the usual sequence for multiple cylinder internal combustionengines. The rotation of said rotative element or valve closure 15, serves to draw the water from the radiator through the inlet pipe 40, to cool the cylinders, the warm water then passing into the hollow valve element and \vater jacket-of the valve and being delivered back to the radiator through the outlets 30 and 39, thus maintaining practically all of the parts of the engine at an even temperature, particularly the rotatable valve and its casing. Of course, the rotative element or valve closure 15, affords an effective pump because of the spirally arranged plates 16, therein acting as a worm pump, the rate of flow, of course, depending upon the rate of rotation of the rotative element or valve closure. An auxiliary pump 'may be .used, if desired, though the same ordinarily will not be required except on very slow running engines, and it is thought will not be necessary even in those.

It is to be observed that reciprocating valves are wholly dispensed with in the construction described; that timing gears are also unnecessary; that instead, a single rotative element serves in lieu of all the valves heretofore used in four cycle engines, and the recesses having been appropriately arranged therein for the respective cylinders, the utmost simplicity of operation is assured. Inasmuch as said element is rotated or driven directly from the engine shaft by means of the sprocket chain 24, all cams and springs of every kind andnature are dispensed with, and the correct cycle of operation for each cylinder is assured.

1 construction and operation will readily suggest themselves. I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted on this application, otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention: 1

1. In an engine of the class described, a plurality of cylinders, a unitary hollow rotary valve element controlling both the supply and exhaust of all of said cylinders, water jackets for said cylinders and for said valve element, the walls of said valve element being apertured laterally near one end to afford direct communication between said cylinder water jackets and the valve jacket and also with the interior of said valve, packing disposed around said valve element on each side of the apertured portion to prevent leakage of water into the interior of the cylinders and past said end support, a screwplug for closin the end of said rotary valve element beyond said apertures, a stud shaft on said screw-plug, and a nut apertured t0 fit over said stud shaft and when in screwthreaded engagement with the cylinder casing engaging said screw-plug to prevent longitudinal movement of the rotary valve element.

2. In an engine of the class described, a plurality of cylinders, a unitary hollow rotary valve element controlling both the supply and exhaust of all of said cylinders, water jackets for said cylinders and for said valve element, the walls of said valve element being apertured at one end to afford direct communication between said cylinder water jackets and the valve jacket and also with the interior of said valve, packing disposed around said valve element on each side of the apertured portion to prevent leakage of water into the interior of the cylinders, and a cage surrounding said valve element and bearing at each of its ends against said packing to hold the same pressed into position, said cage permitting a flow of water therethrough and through the apertures in the valve element.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES M. BRADLEY. Witnesses CHARLES W. HILLS, Jr., Gnoaen R. MOORE. 

